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Nestlé Canada has joined the growing trend toward making a cage-free egg commitment.

As part of Nestlé’s overall commitment to improving animal welfare throughout its supply chain, Nestlé Canada has announced that it will move to using only cage-free eggs in all of its Canadian food products by 2025.

According to a press release from the company, Nestlé Canada purchases almost 500,000 pounds of eggs annually, and is dedicated to working with Canadian farmers to make this transition by 2025.

“Canadian farmers are important to us, and in addition to eggs, we also purchase approximately $44 million worth of dairy products every year. Working alongside Canadian farmers is an essential part of our commitment to the health, care and welfare of animals,” says Catherine O’Brien, senior vice-president of Corporate Affairs, Nestlé Canada Inc.

This pledge to use 100-per-cent Canadian cage-free eggs is part of Nestlé’s global commitment on farm animal welfare, launched in 2012 and strengthened in 2014, according to the press release, which also notes that Nestlé is now developing pilot projects with its suppliers and World Animal Protection to establish a roadmap for sourcing cage-free eggs in Europe and the rest of the world.

“Nestlé Canada’s commitment to move to cage-free eggs will have a huge positive impact on the lives of hundreds of thousands of hens. Unlike conventional barns, cage-free systems allow hens to move around freely, perch and lay their eggs in a nest box. World Animal Protection has been pleased to support Nestlé’s work to improve the lives of farm animals. We applaud Nestlé Canada’s commitment to hens today and their ongoing efforts to give other farm animals better lives as well,” says Josey Kitson, executive director for World Animal Protection Canada.